Boarders
by Aleatoire
Summary: Edward and the Cullens attend a preporatory in Seattle... and so do the Quileute werewolves! How will the new girl, Bella, cope with the strange prejudices the two groups of people have against each other? Love, rumours and problems abound... EXB
1. The New Girl

Okay, this story is about a boarding school, and takes place in modern day… in Seattle… Edward is a vampire, Bella is a human, and Jake is a werewolf…

**Okay, this story is about a boarding school, and takes place in modern day… in Seattle… Edward is a vampire, Bella is a human, and Jake is a werewolf…**

**JACOB POV:**

"Jacob Black, please report to the headmaster's office immediately," a dull, lifeless voice resonated throughout the halls of ­­­­­­­Braxwell Preparatory- the voice of Sue, the receptionist. It might not have sounded like it, but I knew she was most likely pissed at having to reach the two feet across her desk to the microphone. I'd been in there so many times that there was no doubt in my mind she had been watching funny cat videos on YouTube before having to page me.

"Jacob, you'd better go," one of the more kind teachers in this institution, Mrs. Clearwater, instructed me.

"Sure, sure," I replied with a wave of my hand, and stood up.

"What'd you do this time, Jake?" Quil yelled from across the room as I walked towards the door.

"Shut it, sugar," I muttered, slamming the door before he could ask me anymore. Becoming a werewolf was making Quil annoyingly overconfident. He hadn't seen me fight yet; _that_ would stop his remarks in an instant.

_The hell with walking, _I thought as I strolled down the corridor to the office, _I don't make noise anyways, no one will catch me._

And with that, I started running… Not because I was eager to get to the headmaster – truth be told, I had no idea what I'd done, if anything – but because I simply liked to run. It made me feel – and it sounds extremely cheesy, I know – free. It felt like I wasn't even in this cursed school; like I was in my wolf form, free in the forest.

I was running so fast that it took me a moment to register the soft footfalls behind me. When I finally did, it was only because I could smell who it was.

"Cullen," I growled without looking back.

"Good afternoon, pup," he greeted me with his usual retarded polite disposition as he caught up beside me. "Are we a little excited to see our headmaster?"

_Yeah, 'cause he just turns me right on_, I thought sarcastically, hoping it would shock him.

Instead he answered mockingly, "I wasn't aware of your…odd physical attraction towards him, Jacob."

"Oh shut up, leech, you know I was joking," his annoying tendency to rarely get angry at me – outwardly at least – was really starting to get on my nerves, and I quickened my pace in hopes of leaving him behind.

He easily matched my speed and I asked, "What made you follow me anyways, _Edward_?" I sneered his name contemptuously, hoping to provoke him, but I had no such luck.

"I was merely hoping to enforce school rules Jacob," he smiled at me while directing me up the stairs with one hand – like I didn't know what way to go! "No running in the halls, regardless of whether or not you make noise whilst doing so."

"Well if _someone_ wasn't able to read minds no one ever would have caught me," I replied back just as politely, though it was hard to match his smile.

"I can't talk with you anymore Jacob, Mr. Varner is wondering where I've gone," he informed me, and left me two doors down from the headmaster's office alone.

"So long Cullen," I muttered as I walked on. _Geez, I wish he'd give in and bite someone. I'd love to have an excuse to have a go at him._

I would have had license to do so too, as we werewolves were the 'protectors of the school,' which was more or less self-dubbed. If any vampire bit any human on any part of the school grounds, the werewolves stepped in and took the necessary means to control the situation. Unfortunately, nothing of the sort had ever happened, and Head Boy Edward Cullen had promised it never would…

"Hey-o Daddy-o!" I greeted the headmaster and my father, Billy Black, as I stepped into his office – I'd managed to sneak pass Sue, which was not a very difficult feat to accomplish, "What'd I do this time?"

He sighed as I flopped down onto the chair across from him with a thump. We were separated only by his expensive desk. "Well son," he began wearily, "You didn't actually do anything this time. I would like to…make use of your services."

"Are you saying I finally get to kick some vampire ass?"

Dad coughed and inclined his head to my left, and I followed his gaze to a slender girl sitting in one of the hard plastic chairs lined up in front of the window.

She was looking down at her hands, which were folded in her lap, and I wasn't surprised I'd missed her presence before. Her long, mahogany hair was fully covering her face, exempt of her mouth and chin.

"Miss Swan?" Billy smiled at her and she raised her head slowly, as if hoping not to meet his eyes.

Swan? Where had I heard that name before?

"Jacob," he turned his attention back to me, "This is Isabella Swan, Charlie Swan's daughter."

Of course, Dad's old friend Charlie… That's where I'd heard the name.

"Hey," I said, flashing a smile her way. She meekly returned it.

Now that I could see the rest of her face, I could tell she was cute. Her eyes were a chocolate brown color, but…alive somehow, regardless of her shy nature. She had a heart-shaped face, and the blush currently resting on her cheeks was more pronounced than the average person's due to her pallid complexion. Her full lips formed an attractive smile, however meek it may have been. I don't know how long I had taken to look at her, but my appraisal was interrupted by the opening of the door and the scent of _vampire_ stinging my nostrils.

"Mr. Varner told me I was needed in the office sir," _Cullen_ came with the scent, and I struggled to maintain my control.

_Get out of here Eddie; you're scaring the poor human!_ I knew he'd just as soon as drink her blood than listen to me, but it was fun to tease.

My father, oblivious to all of this, wheeled forward to shake hands with the Cold One. "Ah, yes, I did need you Mr. Cullen. This is Miss Isabella Swan, our new student."

"How do you do?" Isabella had dropped her gaze to her feet, and she gasped when Edward crossed the room to lean towards her and shake her hand. No doubt she'd seen his strange yellow eye color when she looked up into his face, and worse, felt his freezing cold hand grip her own.

I was certain they would remain transfixed in that position for a while, judging by the intense way she was staring at him when my father turned the heat up in the room from his desk – a feature an old man like him insisted on having. It _did_ look chilly for September in Seattle, but I sweat in my damn uniform no matter what the weather.

Once the heater kicked in, the hot air blew full blast in Cullen's face and brought Isabella's long hair with it, and he looked as if he'd been shot.

Suddenly he stood up, probably faster than he should have, and managed to exclaim, "I'm very sorry Mr. Black, I must return to class now," before running out the door.

_Scared of the girl Eddie boy?_ I taunted, but I was just as perplexed as everyone else about his attitude.

"I'm terribly sorry Isabella," Dad began, "he isn't usually like that… He was supposed to show you to your room, as is standard policy here, but I think Jacob can help you find it before he escorts you on a tour."

So _that's_ why he needed me… 'My talents' – that was one way of putting it. Aside from Sam, I knew that layout of the school like no other. It was soldered into my brain from years of exploring and troublemaking.

"I'd be glad to," I replied, then walked to the door and held it open for the girl. "Isabella?" I asked after a second of standing there. She had been looking down again.

"Oh!" She looked up and flushed as all attention in the now too warm office turned to her. She hurried to stand and nearly fell on her face before she'd even gotten anywhere near the door. When she reached me, I grabbed hold of her elbow. She would need the help…

"Thanks," she muttered as I closed the door.

"No problem Isabella," I smiled at her and she sneaked a sideways glance at me.

"Call me Bella."

"Sure, sure Bells, I'm Jacob," I stopped walking and held out my hand for her to shake, and her eyes widened in surprise at how hot I was.

"You should be dead," she whispered as if it would offend me. "You and that Cullen boy," she went on, her voice rising in volume. "Does everyone here have abnormal body temperatures?"

"You'd be surprised," I laughed, and led her on through the hallway.

**Wow, shortness, sorry I just really wanted you guys to read it! What'd you think? I know, I made Bella shy… But she is, and she knows no one here… yet!**

**And it's bound to get spookier, no worries there!**

**, I'm Edward/Bella, so this story will not be going the Jake/Bella route, though he will be a problem!**

**Also, if you think this is like Vampire Knight and/or Harry Potter…. Yeah, slightly, whatever, I just thought it was a good idea if all these vampires and werewolves and humans were holed up in boarding school together… It would be very interesting, and I intend it to be! BTW, Tanya's in this story too… later ;)**

**Love a whole bunch, **

**Reese (AKA Aleatoire)**

**PS: Go watch the new Twilight Tuesday Vid on YouTube! (If you haven't already) 'Tis amazing, but I don't know the link :(**


	2. Quite The Predicament

**Okey, Edward's POV Time!**

**Jake's was a treat; I rarely use him for POVs… **

I crossed the room in one step and bent down to her eye level. Her head was down, so I stuck my pale, thin hand out, hoping she would see it and look up to find its owner.

"How do you do?" I asked, putting on an air of pleasantry to accompany my smile. She took my hand before looking up and gasped at the uncomfortable temperature – to her body – that my hand was, which caused her to look up more suddenly than she'd wished. I kept on smiling and she stared straight into my eyes. I knew they were the lovely butterscotch color so favored by my sisters, Tanya and my many admirers, as I had just went hunting the night previous.

Isabella appeared entranced by them, and I found myself staring into her own eyes with just the same intensity, albeit for a different reason. She fascinated me, this ordinary human girl with oddly vivid and alive brown eyes, not because she was pretty – which I do admit she was, what with her eyes and petite features – but because I couldn't hear her mind. No, no matter how hard I tried to reach her thoughts, I could not. This utterly perplexed me, and I kept staring straight into those brown eyes of hers, as if they would somehow show me the way to her mind.

I had been downwind of her until a sudden burst of hot air blasted into my face. It came from behind her chair, from a little heating unit on the wall, and brought bunches of her hair along with it, which gently lapped against my cheek. I made the silly mistake of inhaling before pulling away. This error caused me to smell the most ridiculously desirable scent I'd ever smelled. I wanted it instantaneously, and it took literally every ounce of control I had built up over the years to be able to resist the temptation.

I straightened my posture quicker than I ought in a human's presence, but it was either that or her life. And most likely Jacob's too, since I knew he would attack if given the chance.

With my last breath I exclaimed hastily, "I'm very sorry Mr. Black; I must return to class now," before running out the door. I flew past Sue so fast she hardly saw me.

_What was that?_ She wondered as I streamed past, but I could have cared less. I ran all the way to my private dorm, some part of my subconscious feeling thankful that classes were still in session. I was fleeing to my private dorm, a room I hardly used – I had all my clothing in Esme and Carlisle's house on the grounds, and spent most of my free time there.

As I ran through the uniform stone hallways with dark, full sized lockers, the breeze I created calmed my frantic thoughts, and I realized something. Billy had wanted me to show her to her dorm… We would have been very much alone there, and it would have been foolishly simple to end her life with hardly sound or effort.

But the wolves would have smelled the blood, and the peace would have been over… _Besides Edward,_ I reasoned with myself as I tore through the drenched courtyard. Few windows in the school would be open now; the weather was terrible. _Even if you did manage to evade the wolves and get off the school grounds with her, she would most likely have screamed before then… And think of what it would do to Carlisle, and Esme!_

I flung open the door to west tower, raced up the stairs, past all the prefects' dorms, and finally ended up at the door to my room. I flung that open as well, being careful not to break it even in my preoccupied state of mind, and ran straight to the bed, which I sank down onto and held my head in my hands for quite some time, occasionally running my hands through my hair, not sure what to do.

"Edward?" I didn't look up at first; I knew it was Alice. I released my head, ran my hand through my already mussed hair once more and glanced toward the door, but she was already sitting right beside me.

"Why do I keep seeing you biting into some poor new girl's neck?" She asked, hugging me with her tiny arms as she did, despite the nature of her question.

"Don't word it like that!" I hissed, but I softened my voice as I explained, "Her scent is… it makes me ravenous with thirst. It's unbelievable Alice, you have no idea. I want her blood so badly, yet at the same time I know that if I drain her of it, I'll never be able to have that wonderful scent flood my nostrils again. It's completely intoxicating, and partially annoying."

"That sounds like…quite an interesting predicament brother," Alice remarked, "What do you plan on doing? I hope it doesn't involve what I have foreseen, you'd best change your mind…"

"Alice!" I growled, and I could tell as well as she could I was becoming irritable. "I'm sorry," I whispered as she recoiled her arms away from me. "I don't know what to do right now, to be perfectly honest. I _hope_ my control will enable me to resist her, or else I have no other choice: I'll have to leave."

"Ed, you're Head Boy, you can't just leave," Alice reminded me softly, catching my gaze with her own and holding it. "And remember why we're here in the first place."

I sighed and replied, "I know, I know, the werewolves confuse our scent."

"_And_ they make me blind," she pouted, looking down and crossing her arms. That was one – okay, the only unsafe one – disadvantage to us attending school here in Seattle. If we didn't have the wolves to confuse our scent though, the Volturi and a number of other vampires would be on us Cullens – and Tanya's coven, for that matter - in a heartbeat. They hated us, though the Volturi had been respectful up until about five years ago. It was a bothersome long story… We'd have to leave this place eventually, however, and none of us knew quite what to do then. I didn't want to have to think about it until the time came…

"Hey Ed," Alice poked my arm, and it took me a minute to register the teasing expression on her face, "trying to fall asleep?"

"Very funny _Al_," she knew how I disliked being called Ed, so I'd dubbed her Al earlier on, and it got on her nerves too. It was only fair…

"Hey, no fair, at least Ed's still a guy's name!" She retorted, crossing her arms and huffing. She deliberately turned her body away from me, most literally giving me the 'cold shoulder.' She started to giggle after a few seconds of this. Then she grabbed me by the hand and towed me easily off the bed and out the still-open door.

"Where are we going?" I asked skeptically as I allowed myself to be pulled down the stairs and through the courtyard. I supposed I could look, but I let her have her fun. With Alice, you never knew where you'd end up. One night she'd dragged Jasper all the way down to the kitchens at the south end of campus to have an 'eating contest' – the one to cough up the food first lost. Of course, she'd already foreseen herself winning, but she'd only won because Jasper could feel her disgust at the pizza as well as his own.

"To see Carlisle," she replied, and it took me a second to understand what she was talking about, and once I did, I visibly relaxed my body – which was still being towed towards the infirmary. Braxwell was composed of many outbuildings, with a main building for all academic classes and lectures. The grounds were vast, spanning over 100 acres just to the west of Seattle, on hills overlooking Puget Sound. The infirmary was one of the closest buildings to the dorms, but it was on the other side, so we had to loop around the building in order to reach it.

Carlisle was Braxwell's doctor, and he and Esme lived in their own quarters on the grounds, adjacent to the infirmary. It was a good thing he was doctor, or else any time a werewolf or a vampire – not that we often came into the infirmary; usually only the reckless wolves and a few humans did – came into the infirmary they'd be pronounced legally dead or something of the sort.

That was also the reason I was Head Boy: because I knew the truth. Billy could have easily placed Sam Uley in my position, but he had enough on his hands with his wolf pack. Aside from my family, I had no one – I had no mate, though Tanya showed enough interest for her to be able to be; I really didn't have any friends, though I had many female admirers and some male ones as well. Humans were ridiculous and relentless in their pursuit of fruitful objects… If only they knew what a danger I was to their existence! I'd had to endure some pretty rough moments, and thus so did Jasper – double-fold in fact, as he had his own admirers as well - as the teenage girls sent out the lust and…more than enough visual in their thoughts.

I shuddered just as we reached the infirmary's door and Alice asked, "What? Afraid of seeing Big Ol' Daddy?"

"No," I shrugged and pulled my soaking hand out of hers to knock on the sopping wet door. She was forever giving out nicknames to people…

_Who could that be?_ Mike Newton's thoughts were curious and oddly hopeful and I very nearly laughed out loud. Of course Mike would have gotten the worst of it… He'd fought – or really, tried to fight – Paul, one of the more experienced wolves, last night. Paul must have been holding back, or Mike would be dead. I didn't expect Paul to hold that much control, but I supposed Jessica wasn't a good enough prize for killing Mike.

"_If it's that Jessica girl again…" _Carlisle's thoughts were uncharacteristically violent as he approached the door, and this time I did allow a laugh to escape my lips.

"What did Jessica do last time she was in here?" I whispered as soon as my father opened the door to find me and Alice, both soaked to the bone and dripping wet.

He beckoned us to follow him up the middle of the lines of beds, visibly releasing himself from worry as he replied so fast I knew Mike wouldn't be able to catch it. His was the only bed occupied. "She came in here last night to console Mike because he lost… Then she tried to take his pants off, and he was only… half-protesting. Thank God I was still in the office…

"Euch," Alice commented from behind me. _Trying to have sex in a public place?_ She added silently, _What is the world coming to?_

She shut the door to Carlisle's office as we all filed in and I supplied, "Perhaps the world is taking a leaf out of Rosalie and Emmett's book."

Carlisle had missed the first half of our conversation, but he could surmise as to what the subject was well enough. "Okay, enough guys. Now what did you come to see me for, hmm? Because I know – well, I hope – it wasn't to talk about your siblings'…deviant sexual practices."

"Really?" Alice asked sarcastically as she flopped down into a chair, "I thought it was…"

"I have a problem," I confessed, sitting down in one of the cushy standard visitor chairs any office held – except Billy's, his were hard plastic. I didn't want Alice to go on about Rose and Em, though she probably could…

"Really, Edward, I'm the doctor, not the counselor, perhaps you should speak to her…" He sat down in his everyday grey office chair and sighed, and I took his momentary silence as license to explain further, before he could page the counselor.

"What would she say if I told her I wanted to drink the new girl's blood?"

"Oh my, I didn't realize it was _that_ sort of problem! Alice, you brought him here, why didn't you tell me this before? I was just about to call the counselor too, how awkward that would be if I had!" Carlisle leaned forward on his mahogany desk – the color of Bella's hair, my subconscious reminded me – and spoke quieter. "So what new girl is this, and why do you want to drink her blood more so than that of other humans? You've managed to evade the thirst with no slip-ups for a while now."

I snorted and replied, "Yeah Dad, in case you hadn't noticed, Mike Newton and these wolves do not smell all that appetizing."

"And this new girl…"

"Has the most enticing scent I have ever smelled in my entire life, and I want so badly to drink all her blood and leave her dry. Yet I fear that if I sate my thirst, I won't be able to live without the scent – or with myself, for that matter."

I sighed and Carlisle propped his pale face on his hands, made even more pallid by the fluorescent lighting in his office. He appeared to be deep in thought, as he'd drawn his purple lids down over his tawny colored eyes.

Indeed he was. _Well, this surely is…unusual. Aro did tell me something like this could happen to a vampire, a calling to the senses, he called it, making the bloodlust and desire nearly insatiable…_

"So how do I solve this, dear Father?" I asked, breaking his concentration and making his eyes snap open sharply.

"We thought you could help," Alice commented quietly, taking the situation seriously for once.

"Really all I can tell you is to try and stay away from her, and most importantly, _don't give in_. There's nothing really I can physically _do_, but you should probably hunt more often. That will help ease your thirst, making it easier to resist."

"Thanks Dad," I muttered, staring dejectedly at my still-wet hands. At this rate, I was going to have to move to Greenland or something. It was a shame Tanya didn't live in Alaska anymore…

"Just try son," he leaned forward and squeezed my shoulder in reassurance, and my collared shirt made a terrible wet squelching noise. "Now, you to are soaking, you ought to hurry and grab a change of clothes before next class."

Just as he said this the bell rang, and Alice giggled at the irony.

"Better get going to Biology brother," Alice waved a finger at me as she stood up. Did she know something I didn't? Probably.

She ran out the door behind Carlisle's desk that led to a path joining the infirmary and the 'Cullen residence,' but I could still catch her thoughts. _I pray that girl comes out alive, _she was thinking. _Oh please Edward, abstain…and Paul and Jared are in that class too… Oh no!_

"Alice!" I hissed as I sped after her – I knew she would hear me. "I'm going to class, and I'll be _fine_. If it gets to be too bad, I'll excuse myself. Besides, I need to see how good my control is."

_Fine…_ Her thoughts trailed off, and she wasn't in the house when I got there. I could tell she was still worried, but obviously not enough to stick around and lecture me. _See ya, Ed!_ She yelled at me silently, and then she was gone. She was done with her persuasions, and I assumed I wouldn't be hearing anymore from her today.

I hurried faster than I normally would have as I changed, shrugged on a coat and headed to my locker, then slowed my pace considerably as I neared the Biology classroom.

Her scent was evident even twenty yards away from the classroom, where I now stood frozen in place. She must have shaken her head or something here…

I tried to listen for her thoughts, opening my mind to the area around me, but, like before, I heard nothing – from her at least.

Eric Yorkie and Mike Newton – the nurse had let him go because he was moaning for no reason – were picturing lustful images of them with Isabella, yet why I wasn't sure. Sure, she was pretty, but average for a human, nothing especially attractive in her features, except maybe her eyes. But to _me,_ she was irresistible. Her scent also held an awful lustful quality which was at the moment annoying, perplexing, and wondering me.

"I'll be polite and try not to anyone, though I might have to hit Mike or Eric over the head."

People stared as I tried to assuage myself, but I didn't care. By the end of the week people would be lining up at the asylum to commit me.

"Coming to class, Mr. Cullen?" Mr. Banner had come out into the hallway to close his door before the bell, and had spotted me.

"Uh, um what? Ah yes, of course, of course." My reply was detached and nearly incoherent as I passed him with my books.

_Oh shit,_ I thought in dread as I realized where she was sitting. Why hadn't I realized it before? It was the only seat left.

Mike had taken Mr. Banner's quick absence as a chance to talk to Isabella – apparently Jessica had been forgotten – and he was in my seat.

"…can come to the movies with me and my friends sometime? Sound good?"

She was slow to reply, which I could understand, so I stepped in.

"Excuse me, _Newton_, but I believe your seat is anywhere but here."


	3. Something Strange about the Cullens

**New Mr and Mrs C soon, I promise!! I'm pumping out as much as I can right now… New stories soon too!!**

**Bella POV:**

"Hello Bella," a cheerful looking boy with carefully gelled blond hair and eager blue eyes loped over to where I sat, trying not to attract attention to myself. Mr. Banner had just introduced me – as Bella, thankfully – but he had darted out of the classroom to close the door soon after. He looked expectant… This boy had jumped at the sudden chance to converse with me, though why I wasn't sure. A strange yet beautiful boy had run _out_ of my presence earlier this morning…

The blond boy was speaking again, introducing himself, "I'm Mike, Mike Newton." He held out his hand, and I shook it gratefully. At least some people were willing to make my acquaintance… _Stop thinking about him!_ I ordered myself.

"Pleased to meet you, Mike." He sat down in the seat beside me, taking my gratuity as an invitation.

"Yeah, listen, maybe you can come to the movies with me and my friends sometime? Sound good?"

That was a shock. I sat there, with what I supposed was a look of surprise on my face, because Mike looked away from me awkwardly. I didn't know what to say – his bluntness had me stunned. He was good looking though…

"Excuse me, _Newton_, but I believe your seat is anywhere but here."

I knew without turning around just who had interrupted my deliberating, and I hung my head before I could whip it around and yell at him.

"Sorry Cullen," Mike muttered, and through bunches of my hair I saw him get up and trudge back to his seat across the room and in the back. The way _Cullen_ had spoken to him would have had me standing up and slapping him in the face… If I wasn't shy, or the new girl.

He sat down in his seat with such abnormal grace that I had to look up in awe. He caught my gaze and held it steadily, and I finally had to force myself to look away. His golden eyes had an almost hypnotic quality to them, and they smoldered with emotion. It was a fascinating thing to be witness to.

"Hello," he broke the bout of silence with a polite greeting, "My name is Edward Cullen. I'm terribly sorry to have run out on you earlier. Let's start over, shall we? I don't know what came over me before." He extended a pale hand towards me and I took it hesitantly, aware now of the frigid temperature.

I shivered anyways, but he just kept on smiling. "B-Bella Swan," I replied, though he already knew that.

"How do you like Braxwell so far, Miss Swan?"

How did I like it – or how did I like the people in it? I would do a double entendre, I decided. "It has its…charm," I smiled sweetly, then took a quick glance over at Mike.

"Yes, it does hold a certain… determinate quality to it, and I feel very proud to be the Head of its students body – well, Head Boy at least." He looks less than proud as he grimaced in Mike's direction. So he could play this game too…

"Who's Head Girl?" I asked, deciding to skip over the jibe at Mike.

"My sister, Alice Cullen. I suspect you'll meet her quite soon." He smiled as if it was some sort of private joke, which was odd. His previous expression, before he had spoken, had been one of sheer frustration; it had shown on his face for mere seconds, yet I obsessed over it all class long.

We spoke politely to each other during the work period after notes – the notes and work were on cellular anatomy, which was fairly simple – about trivial things, and then we got to the hard part.

"So where did you go to school before Braxwell? Why did you switch?"

We were speaking at half volume, and his tone implied genuine curiosity. Mr. Banner had been around, and seemed appeased that we would be quite well off with our work even if we continued our conversation, and he was right – we were both finished.

I swallowed audibly while I thought it through; I stared at my hands, watching them trace designs on the black lab bench.

No one had asked before this, so I had no story prepared or well-rehearsed. I decided to go for the truth, however odd it may be.

"I went to school in Phoenix, Arizona. I switched because I moved in with my dad, who lives in Forks.

He leaned towards me, intent on the conversation as he asked, "Why did not you attend Forks High, instead? Would not it be closer to your father?"

His bizarre wording caught me more off guard than the questions themselves – at first. I thought he muttered something to himself as I visibly hesitated. Finally I replied, "My father is Forks' Police Chief; he's rarely home. He also has a girlfriend."

Edward looked at me very curiously, how one might stare at a particularly irksome puzzle. It kind of scared me, and flattered me at the same time. I looked back down at my hands again to escape his burning stare. This time I picked up my pen and began doodling on my notebook idly.

"Why did you move to your father's house? Were you upset with your mother? Did she pass away…?" From his tone, I could tell he rarely asked this many questions of people. Why was he so interested in me?

If we were still talking, I would not have noticed it, but just then the bell rang. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him rise fluidly form his seat and gather his books in another effortless motion. He moved into the aisle, about to be the first to exit the classroom, but he hesitated. He waited for everyone to quit the room, until it was just me, him, Mr. Banner and Mike. He stared Mike down until he scurried away, with one last wistful look at me.

I was still sitting in my seat, staring up at Edward through my hair as he stood in the aisle.

"Are you planning on going to next class?" He stared back at me with that same inquisitive look as before, as if I were wholly enigmatic.

"Y-yes," I stuttered, wishing his eyes weren't quite so entrancing – and mind-boggling.

"Well, I would very much like to continue this conversation on sometime today. Perhaps at lunch…?" His perfect voice made it all too easy to agree.

I bobbed my head eagerly, completely forgetting the topic of conversation we would be carrying on. It was my first day, and I was already going to be eating lunch with easily the most perfect boy in school – and Head Boy to boot. His duck-out of our introduction earlier was entirely forgiven. He probably had some other duty to do…

"I shall see you in the cafeteria then, Bella," he smiled crookedly and winked, and then he was gone out the door.

I soon followed, because Mr. Banner had started humming show tunes.

My next class passed sluggishly; I was too anxious for lunch.

I finally found myself in the cafeteria lineup but I knew I wouldn't be able to eat anything so I simply bought a Sprite.

His welcoming smile momentarily dazed me as I walked towards the table where he sat, alone. He had no food with him.

Before I could sit down – I was right behind the chair – he stood up and came towards me. I thought he was moving to hold my chair out for me, so I stepped away from it, but instead he grabbed my hand and led me out the exit doors and into the pouring rain.

"I was thinking," he looked at me sidelong and I stared back, "Perhaps you would like to meet my parents."

"Your parents?" I froze in my tracks, and he dropped my hand instantly. I forced myself to walk again as I asked, "Where are they?"

"My father is the school's doctor, and my mother has helped design various rooms and renovations to the buildings and property." He paused to rake his untidy bronze hair away from his face, "They have a residence here on campus, and I know my mother would be delighted to meet you."

"Oh," I whispered lamely as we walked on up the pathway through the pouring rain. I was glad it had begun to pick up, as much as I despised it altogether… Perhaps the noise of its pattering against everything had prevented him from hearing my unsatisfactory reply…

"Welcome to my home away from my dorm room," he smiled warmly as he opened one of the double doors to a four storey white building that appeared like it had been built during the Colonial era.

"It's beautiful," I gasped as I stepped inside. The interior was completely swathed in white. White carpet, white hardwood, white couches, white cushions… And everything was immaculately clean.

"My mother, Esme's work."

"Why thank you dear, very much so. I _am_ Esme, Edward's mother. He is my adopted son, as all my children are. I'm unable to have children myself, you see." She looked down at me from the top of a winding staircase with sadness in her eyes, but a smile on her face.

"Very nice to meet you," I mumbled, "My name's Bella, Bella Swan." How she could be only Edward's adopted mother was beyond me: they shared like features, especially their golden eyes and extremely fair skin.

For a fraction of a second, Esme glanced down at Edward in alarm, then slipped a smile back on her face once more. She descended the staircase with almost deliberate slowness, and I frowned internally. Something was off here…

"Carlisle," she called once she was over to where we stood, "Edward has brought a guest over!" She took my jacket and hung it up on the coat rack by the door, and I thought I saw her sniff it…

Suddenly a man with hair almost the same shade as his flaxen eyes, pale skin and the most attractive features I'd ever seen – save for Edward – appeared from behind the staircase. He smiled as he saw me, then glanced at Edward, and gave him the same half-second of an alarmed look as Esme had. How strange…

"Father, this is Bella," Edward gestured towards me and I smiled up at who could only be Carlisle, and he reached for my hand. I shook it gladly and noticed that his skin was as frigid as his son's…

"Hello Bella, how do you do?"

"Fine, thank you sir," I replied in the most polite voice I could muster, and he chuckled a bit.

"Please, make yourself at home," Carlisle gestured behind him at the large expanse of living space. I looked sideways at Edward, hoping he could tell me where to sit, and caught his face in the middle of a grimace, directed right at his father. Now I was sure there was something going on here.

But did I want to know what it was?

**Ohh I think we all know what's going on… They're vamps, doy! Haha sorry, doy is my new word :P **

**Love love, **

**Reese (ps, I have school tomorrow! Oh the horror! D: )**


	4. Becoming Dazzled

**Ay ay ay… here we go, more Boarders! Mr and Mrs C shall be within the next week! ;)**

"So Bella, what brings you to Braxwell?" Carlisle asked politely as I positioned myself on a nearby large white faux suede couch.

"I moved to Forks, and I sent myself here," I decided to get that cleared up right away – no one was forcing me to do anything in my family, so I'd done it for them.

"I see," the doctor swept a stray hair back into place as he took a seat in an armchair across from me. Edward took a spot on my couch a respectful distance away.

"Edward," Carlisle asked after an awkward few seconds of silence, "Might I ask why you've brought Bella to meet Esme and I?" Esme poked her head out of the kitchen and smiled; I smelled cookies from her direction, and smiled back. As I brought my head over to look at Edward in wait of his response, I saw a smile flit across Carlisle's face: a wry, almost conspiratorial smile. What was that supposed to mean? Was I just overanalyzing everything because I was nervous?

"Well," Edward inclined his head towards me with a shy grin, "Isn't it acceptable these days for a young man to bring his girlfriend over to his house to meet his parents?"

What on Earth was he talking about? I barely knew him, and he was calling me his _girlfriend_? Not that I didn't object; he was gorgeous, but _way_ out of my league… So why would he even bother?

His father was stern almost at once, and I was turning redder by the second. "Edward, are you sure you can handle a girlfriend right now? Are you sure you'll be able to _keep up with your studies_? After all, you have _to set a good example for your peers_." The speech was quite viable, but the way he'd _said_ it had me wondering; the words sounded like code for something else the way he was enunciating them.

Edward was the picture of innocence as he replied, leaning forward, "Of course Father, of course. You know me, everything's up here-," he tapped his head for emphasis, "-I'm certain I'll do fine. In fact, I'll even ask Alice… ask Alice to tutor me if I'm having trouble. I just can't let Bella go; she's definitely one of a kind."

Ask Alice what? I was certain it didn't have anything to do with a tutor. He had slipped, and covered it badly. Now I was even more assured something was up. But he'd called me one of a kind… Why? I was plainer than drywall. I looked over at Edward for a possible answer and instead of finding him happy and at ease as he was previous, I saw his mouth moving so fast it looked like a blur, and Carlisle looked like he was… listening to him? I had to say something; this was just getting way too weird.

Just as I was about to speak, however, Esme came in with warm and delicious looking chocolate chip cookies. "Bella, would you like one?" She came straight to me and set them down on the coffee table, and I smiled up at her.

"Thanks, they look wonderful!" I took one gladly, momentarily forgetting that the mother was strange too. I took a bite and warm chocolate melted in my mouth as I chewed. I finished it quickly and she urged me to take another, as she sat down on Carlisle's armrest and watched me eat.

Once I was on my third, I noticed that none of them had taken a cookie, and not wanting to be rude, I asked Edward, "Would you like one?"

He started shaking his head but then changed his mind – with a glance over at Carlisle first - and said, "Uh, sure, yes, please."

"Here," I passed him one and then turned to his parents, "Would you like one as well?"

"Oh, no thank you Bella, we're fine," Carlisle smiled and stood up, "I actually have to get back to work."

"And I have to go… do the laundry," Esme added hurriedly as watched Edward munch his cookie slowly with an…uneasy expression on her face, "You two stay here and talk. And maybe Edward, could you play…?"

"Of course, Mom," he grinned and looked away, but something wasn't right. That was the sort of expression one had when they were… blushing, except he wasn't. His pale skin remained the same shade, even with slight embarrassment.

"Play what?" I asked as Esme disappeared under the stairs and Carlisle had gone out the back door.

"I'll show you," he truly smiled and pulled me up and along to a dais where a large grand piano was the centerpiece. His touch sent a shiver through my body, but it had nothing to do with the frigid temperature.

He sat me down on the piano bench and slid in beside me, and realization dawned as he pulled the cover off the keys. "You play piano?" I whispered in awe. A moment of wordless conversation passed between us as he stared deep into my eyes and gave me a beautiful crooked smile; I had to look away due to the incredible emotion on his face.

As I did so, his fingers hit the keys and I was mesmerized. He began playing a soft, though still energetic melody that was exceedingly heartfelt and mature, but yet so innocent in its beauty that I had the sudden instinct to reach up and pat his shoulder gently.

"This one is Esme's favorite," he smiled and looked away from the keys, into my eyes again, "I wrote it to honor my parent's relationship."

"_You _wrote this?" I looked up in shock and amazement; he was incredibly talented, and at so young an age… I sat there in quiet contentment as I watched his fingers dance across the keys lithely, creating the most beautiful music I'd ever heard.

"It's beautiful," I whispered as he finished with a note that seemed to hang in the air once the song was over, though his hands were no longer touching the keys. In fact, one now held my left as he stood up and guided me down from the dais.

"Lunch is almost over," he remarked quietly, and I looked down at our intertwined hands. I was afraid of that.

"What classes do you have?" I whispered hopefully.

"Spanish and Math."

"Oh," I kept my eyes on the ground as we made our way back out into the pouring rain. It was silent as we walked on, so I looked up, only to see him staring at me expectantly. "Oh, I have Trig and English." The way I said it made it sound like a death sentence.

"Then I suppose I shan't be seeing you the rest of the school day," he inclined his head and brushed now-damp hair off his face, "Would you like to come for coffee with me later?"

"There's a place to get coffee here?" That would be convenient.

"Actually, I was thinking off the school grounds. I would drive, of course." He smirked; of course he would drive, what wasn't he good at?

We were walking indoors now and I noticed he dropped my hand instantly as people began staring. He looked down at me again and I caught a sad, almost wistful look in his eyes as he did so. "Bella, would you like to go for coffee with me tonight, at 6:00?" His eyes burned mine with intensity and I stopped right in the middle of the hall.

"Of course, Edward," saying his name sent a thrill through my body, igniting my nerves and causing my knees to feel wobbly.

"Well I will see you later, Bella Swan," he smiled and leaned towards me with his hand outstretched, but he quickly dropped it, turned on his heel and was swallowed up by the chaos of the hallway.

My first day here, and already I had a date. But just what was I getting myself into?

**Ooooh Bella you're in for more than you think… Muahaha **

**So she's veeery suspicious, but she doesn't yet **_**know…**_** This whole 'going for coffee' thing shall be very interesting to write and for that I need more time, and time is something I don't really have right now. Must go to my little brother's hockey game, then do my math homework… yaaaawn… **

**REVIEW! :D**

**Reese**

**Oh, BTW, I've got a poll going for which story you'd like to see a chapter of next, so you can go vote in that if you wish. :)**


	5. Trust Me

**Sorry for the wait! I'm trying to catch up on my stories at the moment, but I've got stupid school finals… :( **

**Bella POV: **

"Bella?" A voice startled me out of my thoughts, and I glanced up in alarm. I was standing in the main entrance hall, and coming down the winding staircase, looking stunning in a blue collared shirt, jeans and a black peacoat, so unlike the school uniforms, was the speaker and my date, Edward Cullen.

I looked down at my plain white ¾ length shirt and old blue jeans dejectedly; with my lank brown hair and forever blushing cheeks, I paled in comparison to _him_.

Suddenly a long, cold finger lifted my chin up with hardly any effort and I gasped in surprise. "Shall we be off then?" He cocked his head to the side, causing strands of hair to fall across his intoxicating eyes.

"Y-yes Edward, of course," heat coursed through my veins and blood pounded in my ears as his name sent a tremor right through me. My blush deepened.

He chuckled and brought his finger slowly down my neck to rest on my jugular, and he closed his eyes and smiled. My pulse quickened considerably and he abruptly dropped his hand, pressing it to the small of my back instead.

He led me through the large double doors and onto the front steps of the institution. I shivered as his hand on my back guided me safely down the stairs. "Are you cold?" he asked me as we walked through the student parking lot.

I shook my head, but he ignored my protests and stopped walking as another shiver shook my slim frame. It was hardly from the cold, though. He had brushed his fingers across my back and up my arm in the process of reaching for his jacket, and my heart had sped up as well. He chuckled softly, as if he had heard it, and draped the wool pea coat over my shoulders. Along with it came a lovely scent, which I imagined must have been his.

There," he announced, and I smiled at his gentlemanly gesture. I expected goosebumps to raise on his bare forearms – the sleeves of his collared shirt were pushed back – as it was actually very cold out, but none did. His skin remained infallible, and it seemed to sparkle in the dim light from the overhead streetlamps lighting the lot. Darkness had fallen early tonight. "Do you mind if we take my car?" his voice caused me to look up at his face in alarm, and with a shake of my head I realized I'd been staring dumbly at his bare arm.

"No, not at all," I responded quickly, blushing at what I'd been caught doing and for the sake of my old rusty red Chev, parked way out by the trees. Edward's car turned out to be a shiny silver Volvo, and parked beside a few old, dirty sedans as it was now it looked like a car god. Just like Edward himself compared to all the other boys here – at least the ones I'd seen.

He opened the passenger door for me and smiled as he gestured for me to slide in. I could only look at my feet and blush as I sat down in the seat, having used awkward movements to get myself there.

He chuckled to himself before closing my door, and I berated him as soon as he'd sat down on the driver's side, using one lithe, fluid motion to get his body there. "What were you laughing at?" I demanded, crossing my arms across my chest.

"Why Bella," he placed his hand over his heart, putting on an overdone expression of innocence. "You're just simply the most uncoordinated human being I've ever encountered." Before I could badger him further, he held up one long, pallid finger. "Au contraire to what you want to say right now, I find it quite adorable."

Well that was random. I doubted he actually felt that way, but the sentiment was cute. "You still called me a klutz though," I chided lightly, uncrossing my arms and attempting to shove the long sleeves of his jacket back away from my hands. Eventually I gave up and stuck my concealed hands in my lap. "I'll hold you to it." I laughed softly, mostly to myself.

"Hmm" was all he said as he started the car and backed out of the parking spot. His face turned hard as he stared out into the grey twilight, his eyes almost unseeing. The car never deviated off its course, however, and the speed never lowered under –

"_150_?" My hands instantly gripped _anything_ they could: the seat, the car door. My mouth stayed open in shock. "Edward, how can you… Is that even legal?" We _were_ travelling down an abandoned back road, but still…

"Trust me Bella, you'll be alright," he turned to look at my terrified face and smiled. "Trust me," he added in a whisper, but it was more of a muse than a wish. His eyes turned dark and thoughtful as he stared straight ahead again. The car never slowed, and eventually I tried to take my shaking hands off of what they were attached to. I took my left hand off the seat and leaned to the right to remove my other from the door, but just as I did I fell sideways, off balance, into the car door, causing my right hand to slip and I ended up reaching for something to grab onto again.

This time my hand found something metal and cold, and I started to haul myself up with it when suddenly the door opened. Leave it to me not to look at what I was clutching sp desperately to. I fell right out the door, my long brown hair fluttering like mad dangerously close to the front tire. Ice cold wind whipped all around me, stinging my eyes and affecting my breathing. I felt like a dog with its head stuck out the window. All I could see was the black asphalt racing past, inches away from my nose.

I couldn't even scream. My right hand was still holding fast to the door, but it was slowly slipping. Any second and it would start scraping along the pavement.

Seconds after falling – though it seemed decades – I was pulled back in by a strong, freezing cold hand – it mirrored the cold wind outside. The speed with which I was drawn up helped me swing the door shut; I would never have been able to do it on my own. I gazed at him in awe, but he was still staring straight ahead, his jaw clenched. His hand still gripped my own tight. I didn't pull away; I didn't know if I could. The cold was comforting to me somehow, like a cold compress on one's forehead.

"Thank you," I whispered, so low I didn't know if he could catch it. His eyes flashed towards me, anger in them. I shrank back against the seat, but I didn't jerk my hand away. He didn't drop it either.

"Bella, don't," his eyes turned soft again, and he even attempted a smile. "It's my fault, really it is. I should lock the doors."

No. It was entirely _my_ fault for being so clumsy, but I wasn't going to dispute it right now, not when he'd just saved my life. I didn't speak again until the car was safely stopped outside a quaint little coffee shop in downtown Seattle. Dark grey clouds enveloped the Space Needle, and it was drizzling out: three ways of knowing I wasn't in Phoenix anymore. I sighed just as Edward pulled the keys out of the ignition and opened his door. He chuckled again. Instead of frowning at him this time, I just smiled as he held out his hand for me to take when he opened my door.

"Thank you," I whispered, thinking inanely about how I'd been doing a lot of thanking – and whispering. Color rose in my cheeks as I stood. We were barely a foot apart, and when I looked in his eyes I felt the sudden urge to pull him closer… The topaz hue of his irises seemed to move and smolder of their own accord…Hypnotizing me. I leaned in closer –

And he grabbed my shoulders to hold me back at arm's length. His eyes solidified and turned emotionless.

"Come on Bella," he reached of my hand and I gave it to him numbly, "Let's go." His voice was detached, almost flat. Except a voice that lovely could never sound flat. It soon turned polite and interested again, however, when we entered the coffee shop and got in line to order. "What would you like? I'll buy, of course."

The whole place – decorated aptly in browns and blacks - smelled like coffee, overpowering me. Truthfully I rarely drank the stuff, but I would go for some tonight – decaf though. "Umm…" I pondered as I gazed longingly at a banana chocolate muffin – no food right now; I would most likely choke – and then up at the menu, scanning it. The prices here were outrageous! I instantly felt bad for Edward paying, and began pulling my wallet out of my old brown purse. "I will get a decaf white mocha please, and here-,"

I started shoving the cash at him, but he shook his head solemnly and smiled, "No, no Bella, I'm paying, please don't feel that you owe me. You don't owe me anything." For some reason, there seemed to be an underlying sadness in his words, and I obsessed over it until he smiled genuinely at me again. "Why don't you go get us a seat?"

"Sure," I replied just as the barista asked him what he'd like. I caught her staring at him more than was polite and turned away from the counter hastily, tottering out into the café instead of responding to the jealousy inside me. I had barely sat down when I saw Edward coming towards the high table I had snagged, far in the corner of the place. My eyes widened when I saw what he was carrying.

Taking in my expression, he grinned wildly as he sat opposite me and placed his burden on the table. "I caught you looking at it," he told me with a shrug as he pushed the muffin I had in fact been staring at towards me. I didn't care about that though.

"Why didn't you get yourself anything?" I whispered shyly, looking down at my lap instead of at him. It sounded rude and blunt, but I had been expecting him to at least get a drink for himself. Did he not have enough money…?

"Trust me Bella, I'm not thirsty or hungry," his golden eyes sparkled when I looked up into them, but turned hard and distant for a second again before he inclined his head towards my drink and prompted, "Go on then, enjoy it."

That strange sadness I'd heard before returned to his tone, and I shook my head before shrugging out of his jacket awkwardly, draping to over the back of the chair, and turning back around to take a sip of the mocha. Aside from nearly burning my taste buds off, it was quite good. I broke off a chunk of muffin and chewed slowly. He watched me eat with a curious, intrigued expression. Almost as if he'd never witnessed food being eaten…

"Bella," he abruptly broke his strange, fascinated silence with my name. "To be completely honest, I don't think we should be around each other." I instantly choked on the coffee and my eyes started watering. "I…uh – I mean-," he sighed while I was calming my body down, "-it's not safe for you to be around me." He stared at me, as if trying to convey some deeper message to me.

Was this about the car door incident? "Edward, the car thing, it wasn't your fault, actually, I think I'm safer _around_ you, surely. How could you possibly be dangerous?" He couldn't be some sort of serial killer; he was Head Boy for goodness sake. What harm was he to me? "I'm not leaving," I decided firmly, and he suddenly grabbed my resting hand off the table and leaned forward, his eyes completely serious, to tell me:

"Then at least promise me this. If, tonight, at any time, it might appear that I am going to…to kiss you, then I want you to run. No, here-," he reached into his pant pocket with his free hand and brought something out, "-take my keys. I just…don't want to lose you."

"Edward, I don't understand," I frowned as he pressed the keys into my hand. They were stone cold, but they should have been warm as they'd been so close to his body… "You don't want to lose me, but you want me to run away if you try to kiss me?" Was there some weird logic behind all of this?

"Bella, just please, trust me. Believe me when I say I'm doing what's best for you. I know you don't understand right now, and hopefully you never will. Now, how about something on a lighter note," he suggested, and I just stared. I wasn't about to bring my safety up again though, so I let him continue, "What's your favorite novel?" His eyes went from deathly serious to light and teasing as his mouth formed a stunning crooked smile. His mood swings were going to make me dizzy. He dropped my hand, and I stuffed the car keys into his own jacket pocket.

"Wuthering Heights," I replied easily, my tone matching his own. I picked up the last of my muffin and popped it into my mouth.

He made a disgusted noise and I frowned as I chewed. "That book is so…flat. Heathcliff and Cathy have terrible characters, and they have no redeeming qualities about them. Nothing could make me like them." He seemed set in this, and I wondered how he could have formed such an opinion so fast. He couldn't possibly have read it…

"Have you read it?" I asked him, and received a nod. "Well then," I began, startled, "you should be able to tell that the only good quality about them is their love for each other. It's intriguing."

"To each his – or her – own," he replied with a grin, which I returned. So we had agreed to disagree. The night wore on like this, and I discovered that Edward Cullen, Head Boy, enjoyed classical music, especially Debussy. He also liked to listen to Linkin Park and Blue October. He loved piano – as I knew – and couldn't live without his Volvo. We both shared a like for Biology over all sciences, and reading was definitely a mutual enjoyment. He'd been to Italy, France, England and Spain, and his family had a lot of money. He'd been going to Braxwell since grade nine, and was now in grade eleven, like me. He asked if I missed my father, and I brushed that away quickly. He seemed to leave it alone, silently agreeing that being surrounded by people in love when you were single was hell. My mother, Phil, my father, Sue, his mother, his father, his brothers and sisters… It was too much.

"Will I get to meet the rest of your family?" I asked as he walked me back out to the car some hours later.

"Of course, dear, they would like that very much. Especially Alice," he muttered to himself, and I laughed, by now knowing Alice's character well by his descriptions of her.

Suddenly he stopped walking and I instantly jerked to a halt as well. We were in a small, dark side street, close to where his car was parked. He turned towards me, his eyes blazing. "You're beautiful," he chuckled as I stood on my tiptoes to gaze up into his eyes better, "True to your name," he added, and I blushed deeply. He took my face in his gentle hands and my eyelashes fluttered, expectant. His face slowly moved down to mine, his eyes shutting as well. He said something before our lips met, but I couldn't make it out. All that mattered was that his lips were on mine, and my world was on fire. I tangled my hands in his hair, pressing myself as close to him as possible. His mouth left mine and I moaned, wanting his lips back on my own, but instead he trailed kisses down my jaw and soon, to my throat. My lips parted and I sighed as his mouth opened on my neck. I shivered from the coolness of his breath, and he moved his hands down from my face to my shoulders. He grasped me tight, and soon I felt his teeth on my neck… Then my world turned red. His teeth pierced right through my skin, causing my blood to flow, hot and thick, down my neck and shoulder. As soon as I smelled it I began to get dizzy, but I didn't fall because his grip on me was so tight. Actually, it was starting to hurt…

"Edward…" I panted, my breath getting short. My head reeled, and I fought the urge to vomit or faint. My voice seemed to make him come to his senses, as he withdrew his mouth from the wound and pushed me back to look at me.

"Oh Bella…" he whispered, his eyes full of remorse, but there was still a hint of…desire there as well. He dropped his hold on my shoulders, but he still stood there staring at the blood dripping down my neck. It looked like he was about to lunge –

"Gotcha!"

**Oooooh woaaah wow I actually finished it. That was intense to write. Let me know how it was? :) REVIEW PLEASE!!! **

**Reese**


	6. Don't Trust Me

**Song for this chapter (and the last one kinda): Don't Trust Me – 3OH!3**

**Sooo...this is a flashback to the time before the date, written in **

**Jake's POV:**

"Jake." I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard _Cullen's _voice calling my name amidst the annoying teenage chatter in the hallway.

_What do you want Ed?_ I rolled my eyes as I sidestepped around two giggling freshmen so I could plant myself firmly against the closest vacant wall space.

"I have a proposition for you," he said, much too fast for humans to catch, and low even for me. He must be far away. "Come see me by the pond after school."

Yeesh, and I was hoping to go play some COD with Seth, Embry and Quil after school. Now I had a date with Edward Cullen, sex god. _You'd better make this worth my while, Sparkly._

"I am not a sex god, but it's interesting to hear you think otherwise," he remarked, but his voice was getting farther and farther away as I resumed walking. "And I couldn't help but catch that you're going to play with some fish later…"

_No, you stupid piece of rock, it's a video game…geez… _Cullen was really dumb when it came to modern ways of having fun. I bet he and his family still played croquet or something gay like that.

It was in this state of mind – thinking about the Cullens, as I seemed to be doing a lot lately – that I ran into Seth. The bell rang at the same moment in time.

"Heya Jake, what's up?" The extraordinarily exuberant little – well, not so little in size – kid was practically bouncing along beside me, and I couldn't help cracking a grin. Then I got an idea.

"Well, I can't come play Call of Duty later, I gotta go see _Edward_ after school," I attempted to look as forlorn as possible, which wasn't very hard.

"Oh really, what for?" Seth's ears seemed to perk at the mention of Edward; it was no secret the two were friends.

I gave a non-committal shrug as I walked. "Dunno," I muttered, about to take a turn into the library, but Seth stopped me.

"Dude, you can't keep skipping class," he berated, but I just laughed. My father would never expel me. Seth's next words, however, reminded me that I might actually have cause to go to class after all. "What about that new girl you kept staring at during lunch? At least until she left with Edward… She might be in your next class though."

"She just might be," I smiled to myself, and then clapped Seth on the back. "Good thinking kid."

"Well, hurry up, you're already late." Damn. He was right again, of course, so I hustled my butt and jogged down the hallway as fast as I could without appearing _too_ fast.

I ghosted into my Spanish class, scanning fervently with my eyes. She wasn't there. I huffed as I took my seat beside annoying Erik Yorkie, and asked to go to the washroom as soon as I could. I didn't come back.

_Hey Cullen, what class are you in?_ I yelled inside my head so he'd notice my thoughts above all the others.

"Chemistry," he hummed above normal human frequency, and this time I heard him good. He was close. "Impatient to see me?" He asked mockingly, and I snarled into the air. A couple sitting on a bench nearby turned to stare. I glared defiantly back, and they got up and walked away from me.

_No, I'm just bored. I'm going to play COD, leave me alone for a bit._ He still wasn't going to get it.

"Go play your video games then, but don't forget to come see me later," his tone was so sarcastic, like he was speaking to a child. I couldn't stand him. And he _had _gotten it, most likely right out of my head. _Damn you_, I cursed him, before remembering he was already damned. I chuckled softly to myself as I headed off to Seth's dorm room – where the Xbox was.

I blasted soldiers, buildings, helicopters, and even Nazi zombies till my eyes started crossing, so I shut it off and got myself a Coke. This was when Seth found me, lying on his bed, sipping Coke and eating Doritos.

"Geez Jake, you scared the crap outta me! How'd you get in here?" He stared open-mouthed at the mess I'd made, on his bed and floor.

"The door," I answered cheekily, not caring.

"You skipped class, didn't you?" Seth's accusation reminded me of the idea I had earlier, and I suddenly grinned. I hopped off his bed and came to stand beside him, the smile still plastered on my face.

"How would you like to come see Edward with me today?" I asked him, and he positively yipped.

"Sure! I haven't talked to him lately at all, I really should…" he continued on about their relationship until I held up a hand, which silenced him.

"Now, I don't know what he wants to tell me, so you're going to have to tail me until I tell you that you can come see him, okay?"

"Ooh, like James Bond," he got all serious and started faking a British accent, which sounded more like a drunk East Indian person trying to speak English. It had me laughing.

"Seth, that's enough," I breathed between laughs, "Now let's go find Ed or he's going to be mighty angry with us, and nobody wants to piss off a vampire…" I grinned demonically, a contrast to my words, as I actually loved pissing off this certain vampire.

Seth was all serious as he mused, "Oh no, vampires are much harder to fight when they're angry…and that's about the only time they fight anyways." He stood with one finger on his chin, as if he was seriously pondering the emotions vampires had while fighting. Come to think of it, he probably seriously was.

"Come _on_," I grabbed his wrist and dragged him out the door, but I had to stop when he protested about not having shoes. "Oh for goodness sake's," I muttered as Seth slipped sandals on over his socks – that boy was clearly not one for fashion – before we finally left the room.

***

"Hello, Jacob," he greeted me serenely as I walked up behind him. He didn't even bother turning around; stupid bugger knew it was me from my thoughts.

_What do you want, Edward?_ I found myself asking that a lot lately. As if he had right to ask me for things all of the time… _He probably does, you know, Jake_, I told myself, but I shoved that thought far down before Eddie could pick up on it.

What surprised me was his answer. "Your help," he said, and at that moment he chose to turn around. His eyes looked pained, as if he had been punched in the stomach. He came to stand very close to me, and the people walking by the pond began to slow down and stare. What he said next came in a rush, and I had to strain my ears to catch it. "I'm going on a date tonight with Bella Swan, and I need you to follow us and make sure I don't do anything stupid." Except it sounded like: "I'mgoinonadatetonightwibellaswanandneedyoufollowusmakesureidondoanythingstupid." Right.

"Why the hell would I need to do that? We're supposed to trust you guys, and trailing you would look awfully un-trustful," I rolled my eyes, even though I deeply wanted to follow them and make sure Bella was okay. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of getting me to do what he wanted, though.

"I guess you're right," he pondered while he examined his nails, trying to look disinterested. "I can be trusted; you don't need to babysit me. Don't worry, I won't kill the girl."

Damn. He knew just where to hit me hardest. "Now just you wait leech! I _can't_ trust you, and I sure as hell need to watch you! In fact, I'll do it myself!"

"Calm down, Jacob. Of course you should be the one to do it; I wouldn't have anyone else be held responsible for the protection of Miss Isabella Swan – excepting myself, of course."

I made a rude noise and scoffed at him – protector my ass. "Alright, alright, I'll do it. What time do you want me to start stalking you?"

"What a pleasant way to word it," he chuckled darkly, and I seethed. "How about 6:00; I'm taking my Volvo, that shouldn't be too hard for you to track."

"Where are you going?" I asked, though if he wanted to impress her, of course he'd take her to Seattle. If _I _was taking her somewhere, I would take her all the way back to La Push…if it wasn't ruined.

"Starbucks in Seattle," he grinned ruefully, and I silently wondered if he'd drink anything, just so he could show he was normal.

"I haven't decided," he answered my thoughts in a low, solemn voice. Good Lord I hated him. "I know," he replied again, and he sounded sad. Yeah, right.

"Stalk you later, Cullen," I'd had enough of him, so I walked away. I hoped I had cause to hurt him later.

***

**Edward POV:**

This was so wrong, in every way possible. Still, I'd never felt a pull towards anyone like I did towards _her._

As I watched Jake walk away from me, full of hate, I glimpsed a human form about the size of Seth Clearwater racing after him. The humans in his wake glanced around, confused, as a wind that seemed to come from nowhere breezed past them. So Jake was asking Seth to tag along as well. I wondered why, but at the moment I didn't really care.

Doing what I'd came to the pond to do, I went back to my mostly empty, impersonal dorm room, not surprised at all to find Alice sitting on my bed. What did surprise me was seeing Rosalie perched right beside her.

"Hello…" I began cautiously as I opened the door to let myself in, sweeping my hair back from my face as I did so.

"Hi, Edward," Alice replied happily, grinning as she usually did. Rosalie, in stark contrast, merely nodded and crossed her arms.

I plucked out the reason they were here, right from their heads, and I sighed resignedly. Of course this was coming. "Alright, let's get it over with. Rose, start yelling."

"Why do you want to jeopardize us right now, Edward? We're safe here, but you know what will happen if you hurt her. You of all people should be worried about our safety." Well, at least she wasn't screaming; instead she was utterly calm, which could be even scarier.

"Alice?" I turned to my smaller, more enthusiastic sister next, but she wouldn't talk.

_I have no idea what will happen tonight, so I'm assuming you've asked Jake or one of the wolves to watch you – therefore I think I'm going to have to let you go. I won't follow, but Jasper might. And please, listen to Rosalie. She is being logical, for once. _She grinned at her sister, who frowned. She was frustrated about being left out of the silent exchange.

_You're a fool, Edward. A sexually repressed fool. If you don't kill her, I'll be amazed._ And with that, Rosalie walked right past me and out of my room, her hips twitching in their usual pretentious way.

"See you, Edward. Come to Carlisle's later tonight; we're all going hunting, and I'm sure he'll want to know how it went." Alice waved as she flitted right past me as well, her step more like a dancer's graceful lope than Rosalie's self-consumed strut. _And please, don't kill her. She's going to be my friend._

"What-," I started, but she slammed a wall right in front of my figurative thought-probing face with a laugh and a wink. Then she really closed the door on my face, and left me standing in the middle of my room, perplexed.

Well. It was only quarter to four, and my family was in really no mood to talk to me at the moment, as they doubtless knew what I was doing and just how much I was endangering us.

So I did the only thing I knew how to do when I was alone and bored: I shoved my bed up against one wall, pulled my mini grand and its bench out of the closet – I had stuck it halfway in so I could actually move in the room when I wanted to – and sat down to play it.

My fingers labored over the keys, moving slower than they usually would, and halfway through the melody I had to give up and start again. I needed something to describe _her_: her deliciousness, her beauty, her enigmatic mind…no simple song would complement her at all.

On and on I struggled, trying different melodies and harmonizing them together, but nothing sounded _right_. I slammed my head down on the piano enough to shake the keys, which jolted out a soft tune with dark, deep notes interspersed between. Perfect; now I had something to work with.

**Soo, this was a flashback to the time before their date; next chapter goes back to real time, so you'll find out the cliffie soon! Or perhaps you've already guessed…Hmm. Anyways, as he's composing Bella's Lullaby (which I hope I described well, I'm not very musical hehe), he's definitely thinking about how difficult their date will be. Oh Edward…always over-thinking everything…but we love him. **

**Reese =)**


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